Call It My Forte
by The Lone Writer
Summary: AU. Chapter Three: "Who is this?" "This is the police. Miss Dorlian's father has just been found dead in their basement."
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Hey y'all, it's the Lone Writer again. I've decided to write a story that I can actually relate to being that car racing is only a sport I watch. I play the string bass and bass guitar as though it were my life- support. I'm in the chamber orchestra and all that stuff. ANYWAYS, most of the events in this story has happened to me or one of my best friends. So in a way, this is a biography. Which brings me to my next statement: I do not own Gundam Wing in any way shape or form. Sad, but true. I am merely using them as *pawns* (such a harsh word) to convey the events in my orchestra/dance life. So sit back, relax, turn on some Vivaldi (the best composer EVER!) and enjoy! ---oh and by the way, these characters are NOTHING like they are in the shows. Especially Relena...so just look at her as someone...completely different!!! Thanks!  
  
Call it my Forte  
  
Chapter One: Meet the Chamber  
  
  
  
Heero, so far, hated the school. Everyone was a frickin prep on drugs. Why the hell they had to move here was beyond Heero. His first year in a high school as a sophomore and he just had to end up here. His father couldn't keep a job longer than a year but that didn't mean they always had to move out of the city, hell, or even out of the state!  
  
Heero walked into the orchestra room just as the bell rang. So he got a little lost, it was his first day.  
  
"Class, for the last time, would you please SHUT UP!?!" The teacher screamed. "God, thank you." She muttered.  
  
"Ahem." Heero sounded coldly.  
  
The teacher nearly threw the baton at him and called him Relena.  
  
"Re---oh, hello, I believe you're the new student, right?"  
  
Heero just nodded and looked around.  
  
"Instrument?" The teacher asked.  
  
"Don't you want to know my name?" Heero inquired, looking at the teacher's list.  
  
"I give nicknames according to your abilities; names are of no meaning to me. However it is important that I place you in the correct instrument section, now isn't it?"  
  
"Cello."  
  
"Ah, the melodic cello. Take cello number two-eighty-one, over on the rack and unpack. It's a good cello you should find, we save the best for chamber, which brings me to my next statement. Welcome to Cole High School's chamber orchestra the---"  
  
"Sorry I'm late!" A girl called hauling ass into the classroom.  
  
"Relena, how many times have I told you, you go to the bath---"  
  
"I wasn't in the bathroom this time, Mrs. Jones; I was in the counselor's!" Relena protested running over to one of the unpacked basses on the rack. It was the oldest bass there but looked as though it possessed the best quality.  
  
"And what, pray tell, were you in the counselor's for again?" Mrs. Jones asked, fixing the absent mark on her roll sheet.  
  
"So my science teacher thinks I have problems!" Relena said in an exasperated tone picking up the bass in one arm. Her long, elbow length hair was in two messy buns on either side of her head and loose wisps fell on her perfect skin. Her sea green eyes danced with social friendliness. When she picked up the bass her right arm's muscle bulged and it appeared the she, heaven forbid, actually lifted weights like a guy. She was skinny and her curves were a little behind the average fifteen-year-old but that didn't at all take away from her stunning beauty.  
  
She carried her bass and bow in one hand and in the other was her music. She took her place in first chair. Heero immediately noticed she was the only girl bassist and she had to be good to be first chair in the chamber orchestra.  
  
"By the way, that is our first chair bassist. Relena Dorlian, but she better responds to Bass Babe, or..." The teacher grimaced. "Luke." The teacher sighed. "I rather prefer Bass Babe."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Heero, you're in my accelerated math class!" Relena said none too quietly.  
  
Heero just nodded and turned back to the teacher. "So you don't need my name."  
  
"Well from what I gathered from Miss 'Loud-Mouth' over there, I'm guessing you're Heero Yuy. Get your cello, get in that back empty seat, so you'll be sitting right in front of Relena, and just look off of Ellen's music."  
  
Heero nodded again and got his cello and took his place in the orchestra.  
  
"Now class." Mrs. Jones started, stepping up to the podium. "Today I have our State-wide competition music to hand out. It's a Vivaldi piece..." Half of the class grimaced waiting for the inevitable...  
  
"WOO-HOO!" Relena cheered. "Alright, Vivaldi, it's about time we get some good music."  
  
"That's quite enough, Miss Relena." The teacher interjected. Half of the class giggled. The bassist next to Relena gave her a high-five.  
  
"We'll be doing Spring, Summer, Winter, and Autumn---naturally the abridged version to get them all into one fifteen or even twenty minute piece. So, I'll be handing that out right now." The teacher explained. "And by the way, if you didn't hear Relena's loud remark we have a new student in the chamber today. His name is Heero Yuy, I trust all of you will be nice and be a friend to him even outside of chamber."  
  
Heero could hear Relena hold back a laugh. She slightly leaned over to Duo. "And I know who he's gonna hang with."  
  
"Not with us." Duo scoffed. "He seems like a clean one."  
  
"Probably never even heard of the word depression." Relena muttered, though the constant sound of laughter was on her voice. "But who knows, he's pretty cute."  
  
"We'll just see who he decides to blend with. And maybe he's not as clean as we think."  
  
"MR. MAXWELL, MISS DORLIAN! Could you at least be quiet for five minutes?"  
  
"Yes ma'am." Duo snapped, leaning back into his normal position.  
  
The teacher rolled her eyes. "Now, if you'd all please look at measure twenty-four, that's where the melody really gets started..."  
  
~*~  
  
The bell finally rang and everyone started out of the room.  
  
"Relena, Mr. Yuy, a moment from both of you if you will." Mrs. Jones snapped.  
  
Relena rolled her eyes. "You might want to stand back from this one. She's pissed." Relena whispered to Heero. She lightly punched his arm. "If anything's got you in trouble blame it on me, believe me, she'll forgive you."  
  
Relena took a deep breath and walked up to Mrs. Jones' desk.  
  
Heero looked admirably at the girl. She barely knew him and she had offered to take a blow for him.  
  
"Miss Dorlian, I'm giving you one last chance to explain to me why your math grade is down to a seventy-five percent..." Mrs. Jones commanded.  
  
Relena sighed. "Okay, okay, so I didn't completely understand those story problems and I got a C on my last test. I'm working on extra credit right now and we've got a test over matrices next week that I'm sure I'll get an A on. Please, Mrs. Jones, I'm working my butt of here. Don't report me."  
  
Mrs. Jones sighed. "I'll make an exception for you. At the end of the semester, if that grade doesn't rise, Duo will be sitting first chair and you'll be an office aid, is that understood?"  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"The semester ends January 15th, I suggest you get started now being that it's...November 4th, the first day into the second quarter. Now get!"  
  
Relena blew a stray hair out of her eyes and grabbed Heero by the shoulder as he walked by. "Hey, what class do you have next?"  
  
"Spanish." Heero whispered.  
  
"Same here, I'll wait for ya." Relena replied taking a comfortable place against the wall.  
  
Heero nodded at Relena and walked over to Mrs. Jones desk. "So Heero, what do you think of the orchestra?"  
  
"They're a very talented group of musicians."  
  
"The best in the state, Heero." Mrs. Jones corrected. "And Relena in almost stately famous for being the best female bassist. You're quite lucky to have transferred into an orchestra with such a reputation. But also like Relena, this chamber orchestra has strict rules. I do not allow my students to have a grade in any subject below a B, and I do not accept less than thirty hours of practice time a quarter, and I do not, do not accept my students to be under the influence of any substance whatsoever. Is that clearly understood?"  
  
"Yes ma'am, that's understood." Heero repeated.  
  
"You are extremely talented, Heero, I'm seeing you in first chair soon. Don't screw up. I like you already, so try not to push my buttons. Okay?"  
  
"Yeah." Heero replied, a little taken aback by those brash comments.  
  
"You're dismissed." Mrs. Jones said, already turning to her computer.  
  
Heero turned on his heel and walked up to Relena.  
  
She jerked her head, motioning to follow her and the two walked out of the room. Once they were a save distance from the orchestra room Relena spoke.  
  
"Damn her, that bitch." She cursed. "Relena's the best *female* bassist, but she's a screw up. And her grades suffer, and she's *under the influence*, what the hell does she know?"  
  
Heero couldn't stop himself. "Well are you?"  
  
"What, under the influence?" Relena asked, in shock. "Hell no! My god, bass and tap dancing are the only things I have left. Drugs would just screw me over...but then again if you're always screwed up what does it hurt to be screwed over?"  
  
Heero couldn't help but let out a small smile. She did have a strange, almost attracting sense of humor. "So I take it you don't like Mrs. Jones."  
  
"We have our differences. But everyone knows she won't let me off the chamber because I'm the best bass player she's ever had."  
  
"What about that Duo guy?"  
  
"Duo? Man, he's almost as good as I am. But his passion lies in the bass guitar. He never practices his string bass."  
  
"Oh." Heero plainly stated.  
  
"So, where are you from?"  
  
Heero scoffed. "You'd laugh."  
  
"Try me." Relena parried.  
  
"Boise, Idaho."  
  
"So you're a cowboy?"  
  
"Not really, my best friend was though."  
  
"I find cowboys sexy. Probably because you don't find them around here. Me, I'm from Fresno, California. And LA, and Las Vegas, and Salt Lake, and Ontario, and Daytona, and New York City, and Chicago, my parents just can't stay put."  
  
Heero couldn't believe what he was hearing. "It's strange you say that. My dad, he can't keep a frickin job for more than a year. That's why we're here right now."  
  
"So what do ya do? You become antisocial; you try to avoid making friends because you know the inevitable is going to happen: you're going to move again. That's what I thought for a long time, and then my mom died and my dad married this bitch right off the bat. It's like he didn't even miss my mother. God, I hate my step mom. But at least she keeps him grounded where he is."  
  
Heero sighed. "I never knew my mom. She died when I was a baby."  
  
"Sorry to hear that. You know, we have a lot in common. I thought you and I weren't going to rub the right way."  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow at her. "I guess we do have some in common."  
  
Relena just laughed. "Yeah, some." She agreed. "Alright, here we are, room two-eleven, Spanish One."  
  
Relena led Heero into the room and Heero assumed a seat next to his newfound friend.  
  
"On time for once, Relena, and from the e-mail I got today, I'm guessing you're Heero Yuy."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
The blonde-haired man nodded. "I'm Senor McKinney."  
  
"Hola. ¿Como esta usted?" Heero asked in a perfect accent.  
  
"Muy bien, gracias." Senor McKinney answered. "Now if you'd all get your text books open to page forty-five, let's get started on our oral assignment. Turn to a person close to you and just follow the instructions. Pronto!"  
  
Relena turned to Heero. "Might I have the honors?"  
  
Heero gave her as much of a smile as he could. "Se, es un placer."  
  
Relena smiled. "Igualmente."  
  
Heero nodded and started up the Spanish assignment the text instructed him to do, taking on the roll of Francisco and asking Relena, who played the part of Alma, all the things he was supposed to ask.  
  
The bell rang and Relena walked up to Heero's locker. "So do you walk home or ride the bus?"  
  
"Walk." Heero simply replied.  
  
"Same here. Where do you live?"  
  
"Streamside Park."  
  
Relena laughed. "Okay, this is really getting uncanny."  
  
"You live there too?"  
  
"You betcha." She laughed. "Well then, looks like you've got a walking buddy!"  
  
Heero threw his backpack on and silently thanked god for Relena. "Guess so." He replied shutting his locker. They walked to Relena's locker, got her stuff, and started out.  
  
On the way home, Heero and Relena struck up an agreement. If Relena helped Heero out in History, being that he was way behind in all the constitution stuff, then he would help her with her math.  
  
Relena's house was the first stop. It was a nice large house, like all the other houses were around. Heero had never lived in a large house before, but since his father had earned a new job that actually gave him the home; Heero found himself enjoying the near-mansion sized houses.  
  
"Well, I'll be seeing you tomorrow. You walk to school?"  
  
"Yeah." Heero replied.  
  
"I'll meet you at the front sign at 6:50, okay?"  
  
"Alright." Heero agreed. "See ya Relena."  
  
"RELENA DORLIAN, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE THIS INSTANT!" A woman shrieked from inside the house.  
  
"Medusa calls; I'll see ya tomorrow bud!" Relena groaned before she opened the door and slammed it shut.  
  
Heero left the front porch and walked home slowly taking in the day's events. He had started the day out cursing the city's very existence and by the end of the day Relena had turned it upside down and made in enjoyable. And she was the only one that could ever, or had ever, done that for him.  
  
Heero walked in the door to see his father actually working on the computer avidly.  
  
"Hey son!"  
  
"Hey." Heero replied.  
  
"Enjoy school?" The father asked timidly.  
  
Heero gave as much smile as he could. "Actually, yes, father, I enjoyed school."  
  
Heero's father, Odin, gave a relieved grin. "I'm glad to hear that Sport. I've gotta get back to work but we'll have dinner together, sound like a deal?"  
  
"Sure thing." Heero replied happily. His father was in a great mood. Maybe it was the large house, maybe it was the city. But whatever it was it was doing both Odin and Heero a great deal of good.  
  
Heero walked up to his room and threw his backpack on his bed and started to type an e-mail to the address Relena had given him.  
  
Hey Relena, just wanted to see if this was the right address, I'll meet you at the sign at 6:50 in the morning.  
  
-Heero   
  
Heero sent the e-mail with a content sigh and then sat back.  
  
Relena.  
  
What was so different about her anyways?  
  
  
  
So what did you think? Better???? I hope so. Please, please, please review. If I don't get any reviews I'll just give this fic up and move on. I can't tell if it sucks or not so please give me some feedback. I hope the character's personalities weren't too over the edge for you. Thanks!!! 


	2. A Little Flat

Disclaimer: *Look at the first chapter*  
  
I'd really, really like to thank all of you who sent me a review. I'd like to give a special thanks to Foxfire who sent me a very cool review. By the way, Foxfire, I was a violinist in my orchestra for three years---concert master for all three. We lost our bass player and I took the guy's place. So I can totally relate to a violin, and I probably will in this fic. And the whole "preps on drugs", guys, is basically my school in a nutshell...hehe, scary, no? Alright, so once again, the characters are, well, very different. And I'd thank you to sit back, turn on some more Vivaldi, and enjoy chapter two of, "Call it My Forte"  
  
  
  
Chapter Two: A Little Flat  
  
  
  
Heero was up at 5:30 AM, with his dad who was surprisingly dressed in a business suit and gelling his hair back.  
  
"Dad?" Heero groaned, in mild shock, walking into his father's bathroom.  
  
"Yeah son?"  
  
"It's five-thirty." Heero informed him, yawning.  
  
"I know, work starts in an hour and a half, I want to start up a good reputation. I'm feeling like this could actually be a job I can stick with. I want the best rep. possible."  
  
Heero had to smile. His father sounded just like a kid who had suddenly earned the drive to do well in school.  
  
"Glad to hear it." Heero replied, though a little sarcastically. Heero walked back to his room and turned on his computer. As it booted up Heero walked into his bathroom and got into the shower. Heero just sat, shivering under the hot spray for a moment before becoming courageous enough to stray from the water and begin to wash his hair quickly. Heero practically jumped out of the shower five minutes later, shook his hair out, and dressed into a black turtleneck and blue jeans.  
  
Heero sighed as he inspected himself in the mirror. But Heero's focus was jarred from his figure when he saw his computer flashing in the reflection. Heero turned and walked to the computer. There was one new message. Heero sat down and opened the e-mail.  
  
First, Heero looked at the time in which it was sent.  
  
"One in the morning. Who the hell...?"  
  
Hey Heero. It's Relena. I got your message so you can just add my name to your address book thing. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed your first day at school and I'll meet you at 6:50 by the neighborhood sign. See you then, bud!  
  
-Relena  
  
Relena? What was she doing up at 1:00 AM? Heero shrugged off the question, and turned his attention to his backpack. Checking to make sure his math homework, Spanish homework, and English homework was all in there neatly, Heero picked up his backpack and jogged down the steps and through the living room where the smell of bacon and eggs had already reached his nose.  
  
"Hungry?" His dad asked, uncertainty haunting his voice.  
  
Heero nodded.  
  
"Great!" His dad exclaimed. "Here I've got a plate all ready and made for ya."  
  
Heero took the plate silently and sat down at the kitchen table. The sun was just starting to rise and the steam was lifting out of the pond in their giant backyard. Heero watched the mystical pond as he ate thoughtfully. His mind was still curious about why Relena had written him an e-mail at 1:00, no one was up then. Maybe she just had insomnia or something, Heero concluded.  
  
"Hey, earth to Heero, come in Sport!"  
  
Heero shook his head mildly and looked at his dad. "Hn?"  
  
"What time do you need to leave?"  
  
Heero glanced down at his watch. It was already 6:40, where the hell had the time gone?  
  
Heero jumped out of his seat. "Gotta run dad, see ya."  
  
"Bye..." Odin replied weakly. With a groan, Odin leaned over the table and dumped Heero's breakfast onto his own plate. "And for once, I thought he was gonna eat."  
  
~*~  
  
Relena finished her Dr. Pepper just as Heero came jogging up the sign. Relena pulled out a fresh can of soda and waved to him.  
  
"Morning Heero!" She exclaimed happily. She punched his arm softly. "How was your first night in your new home?"  
  
"Dad's a completely new person. It's great." Heero found himself confessing. "Hell, he was up at five-thirty in the frickin morning." Heero laughed shortly.  
  
"That's great to hear. Maybe you'll stick around for a while."  
  
"I...hope so." Heero clamped his mouth shut. He had only been here two days. He didn't mean that. Or did he?  
  
Relena laughed. "Glad to hear you're so unwillingly attached already."  
  
Heero glanced at Relena, what was she? A mind reader?  
  
"So, what were you doing up at one in the morning?" Heero decided to ask.  
  
Relena suddenly seemed to clam up and she looked away. "I had a bad dream."  
  
"Nice lie. But I don't believe you." Heero remarked. He found himself almost reaching out to touch her arm or something but he held himself back.  
  
"I was just up." Relena sighed. "Ya know, you wake up for no reason?"  
  
"So you don't want to talk about it."  
  
Relena looked back at Heero. "It's not that I don't want to talk to *you* it's just a...touchy subject."  
  
"Step-mom?" Heero asked softly.  
  
Relena groaned. "Can you read my thoughts or something?" she nearly yelled.  
  
"I'm sorry." Heero retreated.  
  
"Oh no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry. It's just...well...yeah, it's my step mom."  
  
"Sure you don't want to talk about it? I wouldn't tell anyone."  
  
Relena sighed and gave in completely. "She's a complete alcoholic and a slut. So I hear my step mom and my dad getting *jiggy with it* in the next room and it's impossible to sleep through their little nightly escapades. The bitch is totally vocal about it. So I'm up and I head downstairs to get some sleep. Well my step mom comes downstairs, stoned as hell and looking completely laid, and starts to yell at me for getting up and accusing me of sneaking into her beer. So I get beat around a bit and I go back up to bed. By then dad's asleep and Susan is drinking again. So I saw your e-mail, wrote you, and went back to bed."  
  
Heero was silent for a long time.  
  
"Heero?" Relena asked, softly. "I know that sounds scary, but I promise; I'm not anything like them. Really."  
  
"How do you live like that?" Heero finally asked in shock, ignoring her last statement.  
  
Relena looked at Heero. "Live? If you call my life living. I've just become so numb to it. The only time it hurts is when Susan really starts beating on me."  
  
Heero stared at Relena. She was so beautiful and so full of life, how could she be condemned to a life like that?  
  
"Heero, what's wrong?" Relena asked, starting to feel uncomfortable by his stare.  
  
"It's nothing. I'm sorry."  
  
"You know, you're the only one besides Hilde and Duo who know this about me. I've only known you for two days," Relena's voice lowered. "And you're already something pretty special. You must be magic or something."  
  
Heero smiled to himself but immediately frowned as their high school came into view just down the block.  
  
Relena sighed. "So, now that you know my deepest, darkest secret you're not going to expose me, are you?"  
  
Heero looked at her in shock. "Relena, I'd---I'd never do that."  
  
Relena laughed. "Okay, okay, don't look like I'm gonna take a gun to your head. I was just asking."  
  
Heero relaxed a bit, her humorous side was also very comforting.  
  
"But there is something very different about you Heero Yuy." Relena continued. "Not exactly sure what it is but there's just something about you."  
  
Heero didn't know if he should take that as a compliment or an insult so he remained quiet and perplexed.  
  
Relena noticed the look on his face and smiled. "In a good, attractive way. Man, I'll be jealous when you get your first girlfriend here."  
  
Heero paled at the thought of a girlfriend.  
  
"But then again, judging by your face, I won't have to worry about that."  
  
"Not for a while." Heero assured.  
  
Relena walked up the building that they had slowly been approaching, and with a fierce tug she opened the door and held it for Heero. Heero nodded and opened the next door for her.  
  
"Quite a gentleman or a major flirt."  
  
"I prefer the first." Heero replied.  
  
Relena laughed softly. She walked up to the base of the steps. "I'll see you at English, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, bye!" Heero called.  
  
"See ya!" Relena called giving him a flirtatious wink.  
  
Heero felt the blood rise to his cheeks and he walked off before anyone could see the boyish blush.  
  
~*~  
  
Everyone jumped up as the bell rang. The entire accelerated class was sick and tired of the History teacher's droning about the 5th amendment.  
  
"Relena, hold up!" Mrs. Skinner called out. "I've got an office slip for you."  
  
Relena took the slip.  
  
"Who's it from?" Duo asked, slipping his arm deftly around Hilde's slim waist.  
  
"Counselor's. They want to see me when I finish eating lunch." Relena replied dismally.  
  
"Again? Man what sort of trouble are you in?" Duo teased.  
  
"Duo, knock it off." Hilde snapped. "I'm sorry Lena."  
  
Relena smiled. "It's okay. Hey, where's Heero?"  
  
"Right here." Heero said stepping up behind Relena.  
  
"Oh good, let's all get down to lunch. I'm starved!" Relena exclaimed practically dancing out the door.  
  
The four kids went to their lockers and then met in their usual spot, new to Heero---that is, and sat down mostly in silence from eating. Relena ate her lunch at a normal pace and chatted with everyone around her. Heero found himself admiring how she could stand to be in the middle of all that din and noise. But she smiled all the way through it and laughed with them all. That sort of thing wasn't for Heero. It never had been. And it never would be.  
  
At last, Relena had to go to the counselor's. "I'll see ya guys." She excused herself. She stood up and winked at Heero. "Later Heero." She quickly said before walking out of the cafeteria.  
  
"Wow, she must really like you, Heero." Duo teased. "She singled you out."  
  
Heero shrugged but inside he felt extremely...special. As corny and childish as that sounded.  
  
~*~  
  
Relena groaned as she sat down in the soft counselor's chair.  
  
"Ah, Miss Dorlian. How nice to see you...again."  
  
"And the same to you Mrs. Conner." Relena mocked replied.  
  
"Let's get down to business, shall we?"  
  
Relena just remained silent.  
  
"I want you to tell me how your home life is going, how it's going with your mom."  
  
"Step mom." Relena corrected.  
  
"Step mom. Tell me how it's going with her." The counselor commanded, though gently.  
  
"We're getting along just dandily." Relena exclaimed sarcastically.  
  
"I get the impression that it's the other way around, actually." The counselor parried firmly.  
  
"You know, what the hell do you care? I'm not going to tell you my issues. I can handle them myself."  
  
"Relena we just want you to confide in someone."  
  
"I do!" Relena exclaimed, Heero popping into her head.  
  
"Someone who's older and can help you."  
  
"And who knows absolutely nothing about you and will have forgotten your name in four months? Yeah right. I'm leaving."  
  
Relena stood up to go but the counselor slammed the door. "Sit down Miss Dorlian."  
  
Relena sat down and folded her arms. "You're not getting anything out of me. You're wasting your time. I suggest you tend to that prep out there who's crying over a lost boyfriend."  
  
"I'm concerned for you health, Relena." Mrs. Conner went on. "Your behavior since your father married your new mother has gone way down hill. I'm seeing a suicidal pattern in your daily habits."  
  
"Suicidal?" Relena scoffed. "Okay, now I'm really leaving."  
  
Relena stood up, grabbed her stuff and pushed out past the counselor.  
  
"Relena! Come back here!" Mrs. Conner yelled down the hall.  
  
Relena never looked back. Suicidal. Whatever.  
  
~*~  
  
"Relena..." Mrs. Jones started out.  
  
"Counselors." Relena snapped, grabbing her bass.  
  
Heero already sat in his assigned spot and looked at Relena in concern.  
  
Relena grabbed her bass and walked to her seat. She tuned softly while the teacher talked.  
  
"What's wrong?" Heero whispered when Mrs. Jones started to tune the violins as a group.  
  
"I'll talk to you after school." Relena replied back.  
  
"Okay." Heero murmured, turning back to face his music.  
  
The entire class period for Relena went by as a sweet blur. Orchestra, the feeling of her bass in her arms, the sound of the violins, violas, and cellos made her heart soar. But as quickly as her high had come and worn off she was walking home with Heero.  
  
"So, what's wrong?" Heero asked.  
  
"The counselor's think I'm suicidal. And they want to me entertain their stupid idea and say that I am."  
  
"Which you're not." Heero said almost for his sake and not Relena's.  
  
"Which I am definitely not." Relena agreed.  
  
"Don't let them get to you." Heero groaned. "I had a counselor back in Boise that just wouldn't get off my back about drugs, drinking. She just wanted me to admit to all this shit I wasn't doing."  
  
"So, what do you think of our Correli piece?"  
  
"It's pretty easy. I just don't like the key signature; it's in twelve- eight." Heero complained.  
  
"Yeah so I noticed, around measure fifty-four!" Relena laughed.  
  
"Bet that's what we'll be tested on next week." Heero groaned.  
  
"Oh yeah, measure fifty-four to measure sixty-eight."  
  
"Yup." Heero agreed.  
  
The two were content to walk in silence all the way to Relena's home.  
  
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow Relena." Heero replied.  
  
"You know you really are a sweetheart." Relena said after a moment's delay.  
  
Heero blushed but Relena pulled him into a tight embrace. Timidly he hugged her back.  
  
"See ya tomorrow, hottie." Relena said with a wink, slipping behind her door and then shutting it.  
  
"Bye." Heero whispered in a daze. He turned and walked in a dream-like trance back to his home.  
  
Relena could already hear the moaning as she entered the house. A few moments later, Susan came stomping down the stairs, stoned and laid as usual and began to cuss and beat out Relena calling her various names and blaming various things on the poor girl.  
  
Relena took as much of it as she could until Susan slugged her in the face, causing her to get a bloody nose.  
  
"Bitch!" Relena screamed. "God, maybe I should take the counselor's advice. Maybe suicide is the only way to get away from you!"  
  
Relena ran up the stairs right into her dad.  
  
"I heard the Lena." He said softly and sadly.  
  
"Good, maybe you can help me find your gun in the garage." Relena spat.  
  
"Relena, you don't mean that." Her dad tried to convince her.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Relena yelled from her room. "Try me."  
  
Relena sat down at her computer and began to type quickly.  
  
Heero, it's Lena, what's your phone #?  
  
She sent the message and fell back on her bed, the ever so sweet dreams of suicide dancing around in her head. With a slight mix of Heero in and out. She couldn't get over how attracted she was to him. Suicide and Heero.  
  
What a perfect combination, Relena thought wryly.  
  
  
  
Well? Short, I know. I'm kinda in a rush. The next few chapters will be much more exciting and romantic so please bear with me. I'd really appreciate it if you'd review this as well just to encourage me to actually get around to writing those next chapters. *grins sheepishly* Thanks again!!! 


	3. Turning Pegs

Chapter Three: Turning Pegs  
  
  
  
Christmas Break...about two months later...  
  
  
  
Heero woke to snow again. He was freezing cold as he got out of bed and practically jumped under the harsh steaming spray of the shower. Heero got around to washing his hair after fifteen minutes of sitting under the skin burning spray. Heero's forearms began to throb with the fast change in temperature and that's when he took his cue to wash his hair. As he massaged the foamy substance through his brown hair Heero's mind wandered to Relena like it did every morning. She had run away for a week the last week of November and now she was always being watched by her father and her slutty mom. Relena was starting to make a habit of climbing the vines up to Heero's room and sleeping in a sleeping bag that he hid in his closet when the nights got really bad. And once and a while when Relena would come into his room crying he would let her sleep on his bed, while he took the sleeping bag, and he would hold her hand and dry her tears until she cried herself to sleep.  
  
There was no denying it. After knowing Relena for only a short two months Heero knew he loved her. Heero rinsed his hair as he recalled their last night together, three nights ago---the night after Christmas Eve. Relena had come in with her nose bleeding. Heero had nursed her bleeding nose and bruised cheek so carefully, but it wasn't careful enough to shelter Relena from even more pain. When she had collapsed into his arms he had held her with as much fervency as she did him. Something had passed between them that night, holding each other in his bathroom.  
  
"Hey Sport!"  
  
"Oh my god Dad!" Heero yelped, turning off the water and darting for a towel. "You could knock next time." He snapped, wrapping the towel firmly around his waist.  
  
His father blushed like a four-year-old. "Sorry kid. Hey, I need to head to work. I'm trusting you to hold down the fort or do whatever. Just stay away from drugs, drinking, that sort of thing. And please be home by ten, okay?"  
  
"Okay." Heero answered.  
  
"See ya. Have a nice day."  
  
"Yeah, you too." Heero mumbled, turning towards the mirror to inspect a small cut on his shoulder.  
  
Odin left quickly and Heero just as quickly got dressed, dried his hair with a towel, checked is e-mail, and hurried downstairs. Heero stopped to look at the breakfast his father had laid out for him on the table before he threw it in the trash and headed out the door.  
  
Today would belong to both him and Relena. Heero walked out the front door and locked it just to be sure. He started to walk briskly down the street, pulling his winter jacket closer to his body. In a short walk of five minutes Heero was jogging up Relena's walkway and up onto her porch.  
  
Heero had just raised his hand to ring to the doorbell when the door opened and an unknowing Relena launched straight into Heero. Heero caught Relena and stumbled back a few steps. She was crying hysterically and Heero held Relena as close as he could. She gripped onto his jacket collar and cried into his chest.  
  
A half dressed woman came running out of the door. "That's right bitch, run to that bastard boyfriend of yours!"  
  
"Relena!" a man yelled running out the door.  
  
"Heero..." Relena whispered. "Help me. Please. Help me."  
  
Heero's eyes grew cold and he held Relena tighter.  
  
"Boy, give me my daughter." Steven Dorlian said in a weak voice.  
  
"What the hell do you care?" The woman screamed. "She burnt the frickin breakfast again."  
  
"Susan..."  
  
"Let that boy have his way with her. The bitch might learn something about pain."  
  
Relena screamed, attempting to tune out her step mother.  
  
Heero's hand came up and cupped her head. "Shhh...." He whispered soothingly. "Shhh..." Heero's hand held her head tenderly but firmly, as though to keep any comment from Relena.  
  
"Please, boy, let her back in."  
  
Heero shook his head and started to back off. Relena somehow moved with him. But suddenly she drew away. She looked at her father and then at her step mom, tears running down her face.  
  
"You know, I'd give anything to kill myself. Death is better than this!" She screamed shrilly. She took off past Heero crying. Running out the door in a sweater and jeans, and fortunately a good pair of shoes.  
  
Heero glared at the man. "I hope this haunts you for the rest of your god damned life." He growled before taking off after Relena.  
  
Steven just watched the boy go. For some reason, that day would haunt him until he died. Which was exactly that day when he took a gun to his head.  
  
~*~  
  
"Relena!" Heero yelled in fright as Relena tripped and fell to the ground. He had chased her into the forested area just outside of the neighborhood. She lay there, unmoving except for the shudders of crying.  
  
Heero immediately knelt down to her side and lovingly guided her to his arms. She clung onto him and cried into his shoulder. "She---she had a knife. She kept saying that it'd be nothing compared to what you'd do to me if you got the chance." Relena cried bitterly.  
  
Heero held her tighter. "Relena, I'd never do that to you. Never."  
  
"I---I know." She whispered.  
  
At last Relena pulled away from Heero and looked at him. Both of them were kneeling in an inch of snow. Relena's freezing hand shakily reached out and caressed his cheek, almost in wonder.  
  
"I know." She repeated. Her hand slipped down onto his neck to gently touch a piece of hair on the nape of his neck.  
  
Heero's hot breath brushed against her face and he shuddered at her touch. "Relena." He nearly groaned in an almost inaudible voice.  
  
Her teary eyes met his almost in question.  
  
It was Heero's turn to reach out to her. He gently took her chin in his hand and led her closer to him. His lips were inches from hers and all it took was the image of Relena crying in his arms to close the distance between them. Her lips were wet and shaking against his. Heero's heart twisted painfully and he hesitantly bit on her lower lip, almost trying to coax her out of her state of being.  
  
Relena gasped slightly and opened her mouth. Heero's open mouth sealed against hers and he timidly slid his tongue into her mouth. The instant Relena's tongue caressed his Heero moaned and drew Relena flush against his body. The snow continued to fall around them but two remain kissing in the forested area, the snow melting into their clothes.  
  
Heero was able to breathe while kissing her but he was feeling so breathless he had to pull away.  
  
Relena's hand came up to her lips. "Heero..."  
  
"I'm...I'm so sorry."  
  
"No. No." Relena protested pressing a finger against her lips. "Thank you. You don't know what that has done to me."  
  
Heero waited for her to go on.  
  
"I love you Heero. That's all I wanted was for you to hold and kiss me. I feel...loved."  
  
Heero smiled gently at her. "I'm glad you feel the same. Now come on, let's get you back to my house, into some warm clothes and I'll get you some hot breakfast."  
  
Relena took his outstretched hand that he offered and she stood up. Relena instantly let go of Heero's hand but he had other thoughts. His arm protectively slid around her shoulders and held her close as they walked. Relena's arm slid timidly around his waist before she comfortably let her head fall against his shoulder as they walked out of the forest and back into the neighborhood.  
  
~*~  
  
"Thank you." Relena whispered as Heero put down a steaming bowl of soup in front of her.  
  
"I want you to eat it all." Heero murmured in her ear.  
  
Relena couldn't help but laugh. "I will, I will. I'm sure it's wonderful."  
  
Heero sat down across from her, at his own bowl of soup and began to silently drink and eat it down.  
  
"Thank you Heero, for...helping me back there."  
  
"I told you Relena, I love you. I'd do anything for you."  
  
Relena looked up at him. "Like kiss me?" She laughed.  
  
"Well, yeah, but I think you already know that for yourself."  
  
Relena blushed. "Yes I do."  
  
Heero finished up his soup and walked to the sink and began to clean the bowl. Relena was right beside him handing him the other bowl and picking up the cleaning rag.  
  
"Are you feeling any better?" Heero asked turning off the sink.  
  
"Much." Relena sighed happily. "You really can turn my world upside down Heero."  
  
Heero lovingly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hey, I'm only returning the favor. Now come on, it's snowing like hell out there, you like Minority Report?"  
  
"Tom Cruise, are you kidding me? Of course!" Relena laughed.  
  
Heero swooped down and picked Relena up into his arms. She squealed with shock and then broke into peals of laughter.  
  
The entire situation was almost unbelievable Heero thought to himself. One moment Relena was saying she wanted to die and the next, she was laughing and joking again.  
  
*But* Heero thought. *That's how she has to get by. Day by day, moment by moment with the family she lives in.........*  
  
But all that mattered to Heero was that Relena was tucked nicely into his arms with a blanket around both of them.  
  
The two of them sat at the foot of the couch, in each other's arms, watching the movie for two and a half hours before the credits on the DVD starting rolling and Heero turned the TV off. He looked over at Relena. "What do you feel like doing?"  
  
Relena sighed. "I'd say sleep but since we're together...I don't know."  
  
Heero smiled down at her. "You do look sleepy. Come here."  
  
Heero grabbed two pillows, and pulled Relena down the floor, the blanket still wrapped around both of them. Heero lay down on his back and Relena carefully laid her head onto his chest. Heero's arms protectively wrapped around Relena's waist and almost in an instant the girl was asleep in his arms. And sooner or later the rhythmic sounds of Relena's breathing lulled Heero into the most refreshing sleep he had ever known.  
  
~*~  
  
Heero woke up to the sound of the phone. He quickly but gently moved Relena off of his chest and ran to the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Is this Odin Yuy?" a man asked.  
  
"No, this is his son, Heero Yuy."  
  
"Mr. Yuy I am led to believe that you have a Miss Relena Dorlian in your possession."  
  
"Who is this?" Heero demanded.  
  
"This is the police, Miss Dorlian's father has just been found dead in their basement. He apparently shot himself. We request Relena's presence immediately."  
  
"We'll be right over." Heero agreed before slamming the receiver down.  
  
"Relena..." Heero said in an urgent voice, trying to jar Relena from her sleep.  
  
"Hm?" she asked opening her eyes.  
  
"Lena, get up. The police just called. They said your dad shot himself."  
  
Relena jumped up. "Daddy? Is he okay?"  
  
"They said he's dead."  
  
Relena's face paled and she grabbed her shoes in a hurry, with Heero right at her side.  
  
"I'll get the car." Heero started.  
  
"No, that'll take too long." Relena gasped, taking hold of Heero's hand. The couple sprinted out the door and down a block to Relena's house where at least seven police cars were parked. Yellow tape blocked off the house but Relena paid it now heed and yanked Heero into the house and down to the basement.  
  
A policeman turned to face the young couple. "Miss Dorlian? Mr. Yuy?"  
  
The two nodded. The policeman pulled out a notepad.  
  
"Now Miss Dorlian, I need to make this fast and I need you to be honest. What do you think your father's motives for death were?"  
  
Relena bit her lip and squeezed Heero's hand in desperation. Heero squeezed her hand back in a reassuring manner.  
  
"Well, Dad always got upset when Susan used to yell at me. And today, well, Susan got mad at me because I burned the bacon and the toast. I didn't mean to! But she started yelling at me and she advanced upon me with a knife...she said things about Heero and I got so upset I started to run out the door. I ran right into Heero and she started to curse at me, or continued rather. My dad came out and tried to stop my mom and tried to get Heero to let me go. Well my step mom wouldn't and I fled and Heero chased after me."  
  
"Thank you Miss Dorlian for your honest answer. For that you will be spared the appearance of a courthouse meeting."  
  
"Courthouse?" Relena gasped.  
  
"Your father, he wrote a note as to why he was killing himself...he stated almost everything you did. Therefore, you will be dismissed from the case. Your step-mother, however had some very interesting excuses that gives us all the more reason to charge her for second-degree murder of your father. Do you have another guardian you can stay with? At least for a little while?"  
  
"No, but Heero has a spare room at his house."  
  
"Would you mind taking responsibility for her, Mr. Yuy?"  
  
"Of course not." Heero replied quickly.  
  
"Then I'll let you go Miss Dorlian. I will call Mr. Yuy's house when the funeral is arranged."  
  
A single tear slipped from Relena's eye. "Thank you." She whispered. "Heero?"  
  
"Yeah?" He asked.  
  
"Can we go now?" She whispered.  
  
Heero tenderly kissed her forehead. "We're leaving right now." He whispered in return. He took her hand and the walked out of the house and back down the block. The entire time Relena was silent and slightly trembling.  
  
The couple walked in the door and Relena finally broke down. She cried and cried and cried. She cursed god, she cursed her life, she cursed anything she could until she was so drained she couldn't even continue to stand.  
  
"Relena, please, listen to me." Heero said, shaking her shoulders. "This wasn't your fault. It wasn't."  
  
Relena looked up at him through wet eyes, for the second time that day.  
  
"It wasn't your fault." Heero repeated. "Now come on, let's get your face cleaned up and we'll sit down and relax."  
  
Relena just nodded dumbly as Heero led her into the bathroom. He cleaned her face like had with the bloody nose and then walked her back into the living room. He sat down on the couch and Relena sat on his lap, the blanket wrapped around both of them again. Heero coaxed Relena's head onto his shoulder as she curled up in his lap.  
  
"Try to go back to sleep."  
  
"I can't." Relena whispered.  
  
Heero stroked her hair. "Then just sit there and pretend to sleep."  
  
Relena didn't have the energy to laugh or even smile, nor did she have the emotion. So she just obeyed orders.  
  
"Life is like turning pegs." Heero said after a long time. He gave a short harsh laugh. "It's almost impossible to turn them and it's even less likely that you'll get them to stay where you want them. And just like any instrument, you always have to turn the pegs. Always."  
  
Relena nodded.  
  
"But no matter how much those pegs slip Relena, I'll always love you."  
  
"Just like peg dope." Relena whispered. "Or chalk."  
  
"Exactly." Heero replied kissing the top of her head. "Exactly."  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~ well?????????? Oh jeez, I hope that went well. I was...am in a really depressed mood b/c my boyfriend that I've been dating for two years and he decided that we should call it "quits" for a few months...so basically we've broken up and I'm really depressed. BUT, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please, please, please, review. I need support in every way possible right now (. And I'd appreciate you guys' comments on how you liked (or disliked) this chapter...thanks. 


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